THE Government was urged today to agree three extra bank holidays, including one to help break up the "slog" between the end of summer and the Christmas break.

THE Government was urged today to agree three extra bank holidays, including one to help break up the "slog" between the end of summer and the Christmas break.

Research by the TUC showed huge support for extra public holidays, with today - the start of the school half-term holidays - being the preferred date.

More than 20,000 people took part in a TUC poll, with four in 10 saying a Monday in late October should become a bank holiday.

A third opted for St David's, St Andrew's or St George's Days and one in 10 for New Year's Eve.

Workers in Wales, Scotland and England have eight public holidays a year and 10 in Northern Ireland, compared with an average of more than 11 across Europe.

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said: "It's a cold, dark Monday but autumn doesn't have to be such a slog. The country could comfortably cope with a day off today to break the 16-week bank holiday-free stretch.

"If this Monday were a bank holiday, millions of hard-working families would be able to spend a day with their children during half-term without taking extra leave.

"Millions of employees could give our leisure and retail industries a boost or take a long weekend away and help our tourism sector. Others could simply be enjoying a well-earned extra lie-in and a very happy Monday."

European

The TUC called on the Government to allow three new bank holidays to bring this country up to the European average.

Only Holland gives its workers as few bank holidays, but the Dutch have more annual leave.

Slovakia, with 18 days, has the most, followed by Cyprus, Malta, Spain and Portugal with 14.

The TUC complained that millions of people had to work on bank holidays with no extra pay or leave days.

It pointed out that there were 61 days to go to the next bank holiday and 56 days since the last one.

Kevin Curran, general secretary of the GMB said that workers were most productive if they were rested and treated fairly.

"If you apply the CBI's misguided argument of productivity to bank holidays this country would have none at all.

"There is a cast iron case for an extra day off in the long stretch between August and Christmas.

"For the CBI to say that countries like Germany and China would be rubbing their hands is typically bizarre - they already have more public holidays that we do."

A spokesman for the CBI said: "We all like the idea of more time off but there is no such thing as a free lunch.

"If we allow ourselves more free time we would all end up paying because lower productivity can mean less investment, fewer jobs and higher prices.

"We suspect people who would be most delighted would be in competitor countries such as China, India, France and Germany."